1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for integrating, on an integrating recording medium, image files in which image data has been stored and order files in which order data, which is for specifying image files storing image data that is to be printed, has been stored, a recording medium on which a program for integrating order files has been stored, a printer control system and method, and a recording medium on which a program for controlling a printer has been stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image data representing the image of a subject photographed by a digital camera is recorded on a memory card or on some other recording medium. The recording medium is loaded into a personal computer possessed by the user of the digital camera and the image of the subject is printed by a printer that has been connected to the personal computer.
The printer possessed by the user often has a low resolution. For this reason, there is increasing availability of services in which the user brings the recording medium to a processing laboratory and the images represented by image data that has been recorded on the recording medium are printing using a high-quality printer with which the laboratory is provided.
In a service of this kind, it is contemplated to store on the recording medium not only image data representing the images of subjects to be printed but also order information such as which images are to be printed and the number of copies of each. A clerk at the processing laboratory checks the content of an order by reading the order information that has been recorded on the recording medium. This makes it possible to eliminate the task of writing out an order form at the laboratory while checking the images represented by the image data that has been recorded on the recording medium.
In a case where the images are printed at the laboratory, the recording medium on which the image data representing the images has been recorded must be left at the laboratory. During such time the user cannot use the recording medium. In a case where image data representing images to be printed have been recorded on a plurality of recording media, all of these recording media must be left at the laboratory and, hence, the user cannot use them.
Further, if the billing system used by the laboratory is such that a basic fee is charged based upon the number of recording media, handing over a large number of recording media can result in a high printing fee.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to arrange it so that ordering the printing of images based upon order information can be performed without leaving a plurality of recording media at a processing laboratory.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a file integrating apparatus comprising a reading unit for reading image files and an order file from each of a plurality of recording media that are for copying, wherein the image files, in which image data has been stored, and the order file, in which data for specifying image files in which image data to be printed has been stored, have been recorded on each of the recording media in accordance with a predetermined directory structure; a directory generating unit (directory generating means) for generating a directory associated with each of the plurality of recording media for copying and recording these directories on an integrating recording medium; and a copying unit for copying the image files and the order file, which have been read by the reading unit, under a corresponding directory from among the directories generated by the directory generating unit, while maintaining the directory structure of the recording medium for copying in which these read files were stored.
The first aspect of the present invention provides also a method suited to the above-described file integrating apparatus. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: reading image files and an order file from each of a plurality of recording media that are for copying, wherein the image files, in which image data has been stored, and the order file, in which order data for specifying image files in which image data to be printed has been stored, have been recorded on each of the recording media in accordance with a predetermined directory structure; generating a directory associated with each of the plurality of recording media that are for copying and recording these directories on an integrating recording medium; and copying the read image files and order files under a corresponding directory from among the generated directories while maintaining the directory structure of the recording medium that is for copying in which these read files were stored.
The first aspect of the present invention further provides a recording medium on which has been stored a program capable of being read by a computer for executing the above-described method.
In accordance with the present invention, the above-mentioned image files and order file are copied under a corresponding directory of the integrating recording medium while maintaining the directory structure of the recording medium that is for copying on which these files were stored. Even if image data representing images to be printed has been recorded over a plurality of recording media, the user need only deliver the integrating recording medium to the processing laboratory. The plurality of recording media need not be left at the laboratory.
Since the image files and order file can be recorded on the integrating recording medium while maintaining the directory structure, it is possible by referring to an order file to retrieve an image file in which image data to be printed has been stored.
In a preferred embodiment, an integrated order file is generated and recorded on the integrating recording medium, and data relating to order data that has been stored in read order files of the plurality of recording media that are for copying is stored in the integrated order file.
Since data relating to order data that has been stored in order files that have been recorded on the plurality of recording media for copying purposes are stored in the integrated order file, the content of an order can be ascertained merely by checking the integrated order file.
The above-mentioned order data may be so adapted as to specify the image files by relative paths.
Even in a case where the image files and the order file have been copied to the integrating recording medium, an image file representing an image to be printed can be found using the relative path.
Furthermore, an arrangement may be adopted in which it is determined whether an order file identical with the above-mentioned order file copied by the copying unit has already been recorded on the integrating recording medium, and a warning is issued in response to a determination to the effect that an identical order file has been recorded on the integrating recording medium.
Since it is possible to prevent an identical order file from being stored on the integrating recording medium, redundant printing of identical images can be prevented.
An arrangement may be adopted in which when all order data that has been stored in an order file is the same, it is decided that the data is identical, or in which when some of the order data that has been stored in an order file coincide, it is decided that the data is identical.
It is preferred that the order file, image files designated by the order data and the integrated order file are copied to the integrating recording medium while maintaining the directory structure.
Only image data representing an image to be printed is copied to the integrating recording medium. Unnecessary image data not used in printing is not copied to the integrating recording medium. As a result, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the integrating recording medium from being exceeded.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer control system comprising: a reading unit for reading content of an integrated order file from an integrating recording medium on which have been recorded image files, in which image data has been stored, order files, in which order data for specifying image data to be printed has been stored, and the integrated order file, in which data relating to order data that has been stored in the order files has been stored; an image-file retrieval unit (image-file retrieval means) for retrieving, on the basis of the content of the integrated order file read by the reading unit, an image file in which image data representing an image to be printed has been stored; and a printer control unit for controlling a printer so as to print an image represented by image data that has been stored in an image file found as the result of retrieval by the image-file retrieval unit.
The second aspect of the present invention provides also a method suited to the above-described system. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: reading content of an integrated order file from an integrating recording medium on which have been recorded image files, in which image data has been stored, order files, in which order data for specifying image data to be printed has been stored, and the integrated order file, in which data relating to order data that has been stored in the order files has been stored; retrieving, on the basis of the content of the read integrated order file, an image file in which image data representing an image to be printed has been stored; and controlling a printer so as to print an image represented by image data that has been stored in an image file found as the result of retrieval.
The second aspect of the present invention further provides a recording medium on which has been stored a program capable of being read by a computer for executing the above-described method.
By referring to the integrated order file, an individual wishing to print an image is capable of readily retrieving an image file in which the image data representing the image to be printed has been stored.
An arrangement may be adopted in which the system further comprises a determination unit (determination means) for determining whether the integrated order file has been recorded on the integrating recording medium, wherein when the determination unit has determined that the integrated order file has not been recorded, the image-file retrieval unit retrieves an image file, in which image data representing an image to be printed has been stored, based upon the order file.
Thus, even if the integrated order file is not found, it is possible to find an image file in which image data representing an image to be printed has been stored.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.